NHL Rumor Mill – August 30, 2024
In today’s NHL Rumor Mill: The latest speculation about Linus Ullmark’s next contract, rumored PTO destinations for free-agent winger Filip Zadina, and several Flyers face uncertain futures.
MORE SPECULATION OVER ULLMARK’S NEXT CONTRACT
NHL insider and podcaster Shawn Simpson noted the Nashville Predators signed Juuse Saros earlier this summer to an eight-year extension with an average annual value of $7.74 million.
Simpson believes an extension for Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark will have a similar AAV but will be six years long.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: There has been plenty of buzz recently about Ullmark’s plans with the Senators following a report that he bought a house in the Ottawa area. The 30-year-old goalie was traded to the Senators by the Boston Bruins in June.
So far, there are no recent reports from the Senators or the local media regarding a contract extension for Ullmark. We’ll likely hear more about it once training camp starts in mid-September.
WHERE WILL ZADINA LAND?
TVA SPORTS: Czech journalist Pavel Barta recently reported the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Colorado Avalanche were interested in signing free-agent winger Filip Zadina to a professional tryout offer (PTO).
Earlier in the week, Barta reported the 24-year-old Zadina had signed a PTO with the Buffalo Sabres. However, the winger’s agent denied this, adding that they were working on signing with another club.
It would be intriguing if the Canadiens bring in Zadina, as the club’s management at the time skipped over him to select Jesperi Kotkaniemi with the third overall pick in the 2018 draft.
Chosen sixth overall by the Detroit Red Wings, Zadina vowed to make the Canadiens pay by “filling their net”. However, he struggled to establish himself as a scoring winger with the Red Wings and San Jose Sharks.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Zadina’s status as a top-10 draft pick who has yet to pan out as hoped makes his potential PTO situation a subject of interest in the rumor mill. The trade market has also quieted following last week’s frenzy of moves including the Canadiens acquiring Patrik Laine.
SEVERAL FLYERS FACING THEIR LAST CHANCE?
PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Jonathan Bailey listed a handful of Flyers coming off bad seasons who could be on their last legs with the organization.
Rasmus Ristolainen has become a reliable if overpaid defense-first, bottom-three defenseman for the Flyers. He was getting mentioned as a trade candidate before suffering a triceps injury that prematurely ended his 2023-24 season. With top prospect Oliver Bonk developing rapidly, Ristolainen’s days as a Flyer seem numbered. He has three years left on his contract with an average annual value of $5.1 million.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ristolainen lacks no-trade protection but the Flyers might have to include a sweetener if they want to move the entirety of his cap hit.
Noah Cates also suffered an unproductive, injury-shortened campaign. The 25-year-old forward managed 18 points in 59 games last season. He’s entering the final season of a two-year contract with an AAV of $2.65 million and will be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights next July.
Time is running out for Morgan Frost to show he’s a reliable middle-six center. He struggled last season but had a solid second half to finish with 41 points. The 25-year-old carries an AAV of $2.1 million and is also slated to become an RFA with arbitration rights in July.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cates and Frost could have value as reclamation projects by other clubs. The Flyers won’t get much of a return for either player if they struggle again this season. If they improve, however, management could decide to keep them around.
RIP Johnny Hockey.
Provided many exciting moments in Flames history
Terrible story about Johnny Hockey and his brother. RIP and I can’t imagine how the family can lose 2 sons on their daughter’s wedding day today. If you are drunk stay off the roads.
And if you’re caught driving under the influence you lose your driver’s license for LIFE. Quit the molly-coddling of these morons.
What George said.
All drink and driving is a problem, however the bigger of the two are the ones that dont care. 90% drive a few times but matures, hopefully, but the other 10% keep on driving whenever, doesnt matter if they loose their license or not, taking their licence means nothing. It wouldnt surprise me if he had no insurance either. jail is the only thing that works, to keep the rest of us safe
Man, how the heck are we supposed to comment for the next while on any normal aspect of hockey?
The laws are not strict enough for drinking and driving. It should be if you are caught impaired, your license revoked for two years for the first offense second time license gone for good, however if there’s a life taken then you get a life sentence without parole.
Under the old adage ‘life goes on and more tragedies will occur” – let’s leave the Headline thread to the Gaudreau tragedy and maybe try and discuss some of Lyle’s other items there and above in this thread.
Dark G, re your post in the Headlines about Travis Green and the Senators as they approach training camp, I agree totally with your take re the coaching staff – your GM has made moves to weed out the weak links among the bottom 6 F group, ion defense and in goal and hired supposedly better replacements.
A 13 point improvement over a possible 164 points to get the team into playoff range should be doable with the changes made. Now you and Yeo and the others have one season to prove you’re up to the job.
And on the question of new infusions, why in Hell did Staios give a 1-year deal to LW Nick Cousins when the one position needing some depth was RW? Surely Clutterbuck for 1 season is a far better option than Cousins!
As a closet NY Islanders fan, I agree but Clutter and Cousins are pretty much cut from the same cloth. However. A little younger. A few more points. And more Stanley Cup experience…..yes a little smaller but equally an absolute prick to play against. I don’t think they have this player internally and you’re paying him what you would have paid an internal guy anyhow. I can’t see this being a lose.
To the part of the article about Linus buying a house in Ottawa apparently that’s been debunked a bit as he’s bought and KEPT houses in Buffalo and Boston. He’s a savvy investor. I think he just wanted a permanent spot for his kids and the rental market is abysmal in Ottawa right now. The housing market however is seeing a bit of a lull from a sellers standpoint. It was a good time to buy. For me, and I’ve said this already, he doesn’t get a deal until at least Christmas and they’re still in the hunt. He’s proven himself and he and his former teammate Forsberg are getting along with a nice rhythm.
I can see your point on the relative attributes of Cousins and Clutterbuck Darg G and agree – but I was looking at it from the aspect of their positions – Ottawa seems to have more than enough who can play LW – but they are noticeably short at RW.
And I agree that the mere fact of buying a house is no clear indication that a contract is more or less understood.
As I’ve posted before, if the team is in the thick of the playoff race as we get to 2025 – or perhaps near trade deadline day – that could be incentive enough for him to see a future here.
If he still gives no indication of signing in those circumstances, but has been instrumental in their improved play, Staios then has to weigh whether it’s worse to keep him until the end and then lose him for nothing, or deal him at the deadline.
If, on the other hand, they are stumbling along once more by the end of 2024 but his performance has been good in the circumstances and still no indication of signing, they deal him at the deadline for the best
return possible.
Of course there’s also the same situation as above, but with his performance seen as one of the causes, he gets dealt … but with a substantially-reduced return – even if there’s a team willing to take him as a rental.
Helluva lot of IFS there! 🙂
I see, too, where Detroit has given Austin Watson a pto – likely looking to see if they can replace the lost grit of David Perron who, coming off a cap hit of $4.75 mil and a season of 76gp 17g 30a 47 pts. was looking for something in the range of $4 mil at age 36.
Detroit, even with $17.6 mil in cap space, likely figured they couldn’t cover that with Seider, Raymond and Berggren all to re-up as RFAs (which they haven’t done yet).
I think Ottawa got a good team ingredient in Perron at $4 mil for 2 years. And he’s been a relatively durable son-of-a-gun considering his edgy approach to the game.
I saw a clip of the driver being arraigned in court yesterday. You could tell the guy was scared to death and knew that he was in for a heavy hand to come down. I have no time for drunk drivers, especially in their 30s, but facing a double homicide or even double manslaughter with criminal negligence and drunk driving charges, hard not to feel that guy’s bad decision will see him locked up for a verrrrrrry long time. Almost felt pity for him…almost.
If you watched the arraignment, then you should know the most he can get is 20 years total if they give him the max amount of time for this. He will probably get out in less than that if he behaves. Not what i would call a very long time for killing 2 innocent people.
Not the time to focus on it, but considering the bad lock Columbus has had with the loss or player’s lives, serious injury, or simply making public trade demands, they surely have an additional reason to feel awful, beyond the loss of a team leader and talented face for the franchise. Finally a star who publicly shouted the desire to play in Columbus long term.
And with this tragedy so close to the start of the new season training camps, about the only option available to be competitive again, is likely going to be a trade, from a position of weakness.
Or maybe an offer-sheet or a trade to a team with cap problems. in the next 2 weeks?